Nikola Pekovic

Nikola Pekovic is entering his fifth season with the Timberwolves which makes him the longest tenured player on the team. The 6-11 center from Montenegro is coming off his best season, and the only thing that is hampering his status as an upper-tier center is his health. Pek...

The Montenegrin Mountain built on his surprising breakout from the previous season to establish himself as a legitimate fantasy option in 2012-13. Cemented as the Timberwolves starting center, Pekovic averaged 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting an efficient 52 percent from the floor and 74 percent from the charity stripe in 32 minutes per game. The hulking (6-11, 290) center doesn't possess the athleticism to match most of his counterparts, but he uses his brute strength and surprisingly deft touch around the rim to finish at a high clip. His production on defense remained lackluster in his first full season as a starter, but Pekovic could start creeping towards or above that 1.0 average on steals or blocks as his understanding of NBA defense shows minimal improvement. Minnesota has an intriguing mix of skilled players on the offensive end of the court, but many of those options are perimeter-oriented which should lead to Pekovic being the focal point for most of their low-post attacks. With Kevin Martin joining the mix and Kevin Love returning from injury, there may be fewer shots for Pekovic, but he'll still see enough touches to be a valuable option to plug into the center position of your fantasy squad.

2012-13

Pekovic was one of the biggest surprises in fantasy basketball last year, as he came out of relative obscurity to be a double-double machine for the Timberwolves. After being promoted to Minnesota's starting lineup, Pekovic averaged 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds while providing efficient percentages from the floor (54.7) and free-throw line (74.2). At 6-11, 290, Pekovic has the frame of a dominant big man, but he actually plays below the rim and relies on a surprising amount of finesse on the offensive end. His lack of athleticism means marginal production on defense (0.8 bpg, 0.6 spg) and he�s not going to help much in the assists (0.7) category. He did miss about a dozen games due to a lingering ankle injury last year, but Pekovic underwent surgery early this offseason and is expected to be at full strength entering the 2012-13 campaign. With Kevin Love getting most of the headlines in Minnesota, Pekovic could benefit from obscurity and be had at a decent price on draft day. Don�t forget about the big center from Yugoslavia when targeting double-double production from the center position.

2011-12

In his first season in the NBA after playing in Europe, Pekovic struggled to adjust to the foul calls in the NBA and was frequently in foul trouble. He was limited to a reserve role and averaged 5.5 points per game in 13.6 minutes per game. At 6-11, 243 he's a big body but has some finesse with his shot. Once he gets more comfortable with the NBA game, he still has the talent on the offensive end to emerge with a larger role.

2010-11

Pekovic played for Panathanaikos in Greece last season and was a top scorer. At 6-11, 243 he's a big body but has some finesse with his shot. He's a sleeper for deeper leagues as a result.